Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1887-01-05

mere was a moment y Silence JuIOuRn
all the confusion of voices; every body
seemed TO have heard those words, and to
wait for the reply Brooke, who had
grown very pale, answered. with consider
able dignity: Lieutenant Fairfax has rea-
sons for his words, which, though they are
unjust. will not dispute at present
"The next afternoon we left the fort, and
for some days the whole command kept to-
gether; but toward the latter. part of the
week the General decided to send scout
ing party across the river along whose
course we were marching. Two officers
were TO go with this detachment. and Fair
fax and l esteemed ourselves very lucky
to be chosen. We were to march after
supper, but the stream being swollen by
recent rains, and rising rapidly from hour
to hour. as mountain torrents do, the
scouts and soldiers, who were not 80 well
mounted as Fairfax and l, swan across at
once, while we waited for courier, who
was momentarily expected. He arrived
while we were at supper, and Immediately
afterward we shook hands with our com
rades, and rode down to the stream alone.
On its brink, to my surprise, Brooke was
waiting He rode up to Fairfax and held
out his hand.
Fairfax he said, and his voice shook
like girls, you sent back my letter last
year unread, and you refused to hear me
last night; but for the sake of old times
you must hear me now. You mustp-
putting his hand on Fairfax's bride as he
turned the horses head away. You and
have been too much to each other, Jack, to
let even the woman we both love stand be
| tween US now, when any day may be our
last
"It is not she who stands between us. :
Fairfax said, bitterly, but your own
treachery'
"I am no traitorr Brooke cried. pas
sionately. Before the God we may either
of MS have to meet at any moment ]
never knew of your engagement to Rose
| Chester until after our own engage
! ment'
"'You he!' Fairfax replied, with the
! deadly GOODNESS of one who had worn out
! all the passion he could feel. And you
are a coward, sir, to put the blame of your
| own falsehood on the woman you say you
love-
"'What Miss Chester did was done at
first from girlish desire for amusement,
afterward for love of me- Brooke an
swered, haughtily. That / endure such
words as you have used must prove to you
the depth of my regret for the injury which
unknowingly didiFou.'
'He withdrew his hand from Fairfax's
bride, and turned his horses head toward
the camp, while, without word, we rode
into the river. 1t had risen greatly in the
last hour, and, though narrow, the cur.
rent was so swift and strong that we had
some trouble to get our horses across
just as we reached the shore, noise be
hind made US look around. Brooke had
followed US, after all; his horse had
managed somehow to throw him in the
water, and now, riderless, was swimming
toward us.
"'My Godr heard Fairfax mutter; and
the next instant he had discounted and
was pulling off his boots and coat.
'''Let him alone' l cried, eagerly; 'he
can take care of himself
"He can not SWIM he answered, short
ly, and sprang into the river.
"Five minutes after, while he was swim
ming about where Brooke had gone down,
he uttered kind of cry and sank. OF
course, half dozen of US were in the water
at once, but the current was stronger than
we, stout swimmers though we werex and
it was not until late that night that the de
tachment sent back by the General found
the bodies, washed ashore almost side by
side at a bend in the rivers bank. There
was a bruise on Brooke's temple, where
his horse had kicked him as they strug
gled in the water. He must have died in
stantly-before Fairfax was out of hi.
saddle. There was nothing about Fairfa,
to show what had caused so good swim
mer to sink so suddenly. but l. Are yol
one of those Christians. Miss Stuart, wht
think that God forbids the Joy of Heaver
to those for whose patience the misery o.
earth has been too greatr'
''What do you meanr' Belle Stuart asks
/ rather breathlessly.
Il hot oh a. To-
ever suspected it, have q conviction thai
Fairfax could have saved himself, if he
would. but that when he realized thai
Brooke was dead, and had died in the ef
fort to Win word of kindness from him
the moments despair was too strong fol
his endurance"
"'Greater love hath no man than this
that man lay down his life for a friend, ~
murmurs Belle Stuart, presently, with q
little sob. HE died with his friend, be
cause he could not die for him-and those
are Gods words"
A little later she is waiting alone foI
Captain Lawrence, who, not little re
morseful for having saddened her, ha.
gone to bring her glass of wine. There
are tears in her eyes still, half of pity fol-
the story she has just heard, half of JOY
for tho story which she knows she soor
will hear. There is q rustic of soft draper
! les, and from behind some tall plants
comes the beautiful woman who had beer
Rose Chester. She comes close to Miss
! Stuart, with look in her lovely, rnisora
| bic eyes that the girl will never forget
! "You wept just now for them," she ut
| ters, passienately. ''It was my fault, al
of it; but, oh, girl! pity me! pity mer'
Then in a moment she is gone, and
through the silence throbs and thrills 8
"Waldteufel'' waltz, with all its love and
! longing and despair.
EDITOR ABEL.